Poultry fountain



Aug. 22, 1950 R. w. BRADLEY POULTRY FOUNTAIN 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 2l, 1945 a] 52nd/3y, y

B] and Aug. 22, 1950 R. w. BRADLEY POULTRY FOUNTAIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2l, 1945 6 M 5. M O Q Patented Aug. 22, 1950 2,519,736 Po'UL'rnY FOUNTAIN Roy w. Bradley, runt, Mich. Application March 21, 1945, Serial No. 583,867

' The present invention relates to new and use- `fuliimprovements in poultry fountains and has for its Aprimary object to provide a device of this I:character embodying means to prevent the wate :from freezing in cold weather.

invention comprises More specically, the heating means for a poultry fountain of conventional construction ofk a type including a pan or tray in which a bottle of water is supported in in- 'verted position and arranged to maintain a supply of water in the pan at a predetermined level and to provide a flexible cover for the bottle, as well as electric heating and illuminating means beneath the pan to prevent freezing of the water in the bottle as well as the water in the pan.

The heating and illuminating means not only furnishes heat to warm the water for the poultry but also furnishes equally necessary light for night feeding, eliminating the added chore of turning on a coop light for a period of time in the late evening and again in early morning, through the provisions of a transparent heating chamber beneath the water tray and in which a single electric bulb is mounted, for warming the water and illuminating the watering tray.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view,

Figure 2 is a similar view of another side of the device,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the watering pan or tray.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the attaching plate for the lamp socket.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view,

Figure 6 is a group elevational View of the several parts of the device,

Figure 'l is a bottom plan view of the bottle, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the bottom portion of the bottle.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates an open watering pan or tray on which a bottle 5 is supported in inverted posi- 2 claims. (c1. vzie-45) tion and adapted to automatically supply water to the pan to maintain the water at a predetermined level in the pan. The pan and bottle are of conventional construction.

The sides and top of the inverted bottle are enclosed in a cover designated generally at l, the cover preferably being formed of soft flexible material la, such as wool or the like, and an outer llayer of canvas lb or similar material, the cover being slit longitudinally from its bottom through its top to provide a vertically extending opening B in one side thereof and secured in a closed position by lacing or the like 8 passed through suitable apertures, not shown, in the edges 8a of said opening 8, which are drawn thereby into side-byside sealed relation.

The pan or tray 5 is supported on the upper edge of a relatively wide band or ring l0 constructed of glass or other suitable transparent material and with the lower edge of the band supported on a stand lI. The stand II includes leg portions I2 and a top I3 which closes the bottom of the band I0 and the marginal edge of the top I3 is formed with a short upstanding wall I4 within which the band I0 is positioned t0 prevent slipping of the band on the stand.

One side of the band Il] is formed with an opening I5 in which a lamp socket I6 is inserted for supporting an electric lamp I'I within the chamber I8 formed by the band I 0 between the top I3 of the stand and the bottom of the tray 5. The socket I6 is secured in tight fitting engagement in the opening I5 by means of an aoertured plate ESI secured to the band by bolts or the like 2D.

The band IIJ provides a closed chamber within which heat from the lamp I'I is retained and thus serves to heat the bottom of the pan 5 to prevent water therein from freezing in cold weather.

The waterin the bottle 6 will also be partially heated by the bottom of the tray 5 and will further be protected from freezing by the exible cover 1 enclosing the bottle.

As will be noted in Figure 5, the flexible covering 'l terminates at the neck of the bottle 6 substantially level with the rim of the pan 5. This provides for transfer of heat from water in the pan to the water in the neck of the bottle 6 and contributes toward preventing freezing of the water in the bottle.

In View of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages 0f the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in the art.

A more detailed description thereof is, accordingly, deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention that the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described, and within the scope of the appendedcl-aims.

Having thus described the nVmt'mn, what claim is:

1. A heating attachment for poultry fountains of a type including a pan adapted to contain water therein, said attachment comprising :La transparent annular member adapted .for sup- `porting the pan on its upper edge, a stand supporting the lower edge of saidz'annularemember for removal therefrom and closing thebottom thereof to form a closed transparent chamber below the pan, and an electric lamp supported in Ythe -side of said `annular member Efor removal Vtherewith and extending "-into said 'chamber .'for *heating and 'illuminating the bottom of `the =pan and illuminating tl'rexchamber.

i2. ,A lpoultryriount'ain o'f aztype includingfapan Ahaving `a b'ottle 'supported 1in :inverted '.position :thereon-and adapted tamaintain 'water "atea: predetermined klevel in .the pan, and :a Jexible 'Jc'over for @said bottle vradapted 5to prevent #freezing fof AWater itherein, .and -means below the man for heating wateri therein, said cover terminating on said bottle at substantially the top of the pan to provide for transfer of heat from the water in the pan to the neck of the bottle to additionally prevent freezing of the Water in said bottle.

ROY W. BRADLEY.

AREFERENCES CITED The Iiollcwing `references ;are 'of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 479,549 Botsford July 26, 1892 Y'581,952 Amos May 4, 1897 663,306 4Tompkins Dec. 4, 1900 747,025 White Dec. 15, 1903 A"1,144,508 Taylor June 29, 1915 1,388,974 Schreiber Aug. 30, 1921 '.2113955'485 Duncan et-"aL L'Nov. il, T1321 117935431 TiP'elmulder LFeb. 117, 2.193,1 41,877,084 Tlley ZSept.'13,1932 41,929,789 "Glson Oct. l-O, 2,303,282 Kirby fNov. 124, '11942 YZlllgSOZ Longstreet Mar. 158,2?1947 FOEEIGN -`PA'IENTIS Number Country fDate :615,748 France Jan. 214,1192f'1 

